Aung Kyaw Sint - Information for Life

Facts for life

Since its first publication three years ago, “Information for Life” has received a global response. More than a hundred countries have published translations or adaptations, and a total of 8 million copies have been published in more than 170 languages.

The proposition of Facts for Life is simple. There is broad agreement among medical professionals that every family has the right to know the essential information about children's health. Facts for Life brings together this information. This book presents practical, low-cost ways to protect children's lives and health in a simple, responsible manner.

* This book is information that can help save millions of children in the developing world.

* This book contains information that can significantly reduce malnutrition and help protect the healthy development of future generations.

* This book is a very cost-effective and practical resource that almost every parent can use to some extent.

“Facts for Life” is a collaborative effort between UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO and UNFPA, 160 of the world’s most recognized child protection agencies.

This revised edition takes into account extensive user feedback over the past three years. It also carefully considers the most recent research findings from various fields, including AIDS. | In response to requests from many countries, a chapter on the emotional and mental development of children has been added.

Communication operators

A quarter of a million children die every week in the developing world. Millions of children live with poor health and stunted growth.

The root cause of this suffering is poverty. Another root cause is that most people are not yet aware of the modern knowledge that protects the health and development of children.

“Information for Life” helps to make this knowledge more widely available.

However, experience has shown that only by regularly re-issuing new messages from trusted sources over many years can we successfully deliver health information to every family and community.

"Data for Life" has issued a challenge to establish long-term communication with the following:

* Heads of state and political leaders

* Education system and teaching profession

* Medical profession and health services

* Media professionals in the world of television, radio, newspapers, and magazines

* Religious and spiritual leaders

* Employers and business organizations

* Trade union and cooperative leaders

* Public health workers, nurses and midwives

* Construction workers and volunteer agencies

* Women's organizations

* Youth organizations

* Community organizations and ethnic leaders

* All federal and local government departments

* Artists, writers, entertainers, and athletes.

All in all, “Information for Life” is the greatest communication effort of all, for all who can help meet the challenge. It is a challenge to empower families to use knowledge today to protect children today and the world tomorrow.

How to use as a manual

The book “Information for Life” is for people who can communicate essential child health messages to every family.

This booklet is therefore a starting point for discussions for all types of communicators. It is a way of inviting a wide range of individuals and organisations to use their communication resources and expertise to get involved in improving child health.

This booklet is a way of making that challenge concrete and relatable.

* By using “Information for Life,” public media owners and editors can take a long-term commitment to promoting important child health messages to their readers, listeners, and viewers.

* Ministries of Education, school and teacher training college principals, teachers and teaching unions can be urged to join in this important task so that no child leaves school without knowledge of modern methods that protect the growth and survival of children.

* Religious leaders, political parties, employers, trade unions and health workers can be encouraged to promote the messages from “Information for Life” to their communities, voters, customers, employees, members and clients whenever they have the opportunity.

Every user of “Information for Life” faces the same challenge: How can the knowledge from the book reach the people who need it most? And how should it be delivered to help them put that knowledge into practice?

The type of message contained in “Information for Life” is one of the forces that determine parents’ efforts to ensure the health and development of their children. Other powerful influences include social norms and pressures, individual beliefs and perceptions, and the availability of needed resources and support.

So those who bring Facts for Life to their constituencies are trying to connect the messages contained in the book to the daily lives of people struggling with disease, malnutrition, and poverty.

This process has been found to be most effective among those who admit to struggling with dignity and self-reliance. The process is most successful when the knowledge conveyed is accepted and applied.

That is the challenge that the “Information for Life” manual points out.

This booklet addresses questions such as the ones below.

* How to prepare 'Information for Life' for use in the country?

* How to build alliances to use “information for life”?

* How can the knowledge contained in 'Information for Life' be effectively delivered to the grassroots?

Drawing on global experience in recent years , we will clarify the strategies and actions involved in using 'data for life' to make a difference.